In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ISA Interchile has begun studying and implementing a series of internal policies to promote gender equity and equal opportunities.
Historically, the energy industry, both in Chile and worldwide, has been predominantly male, as in many other industries. Fortunately, this situation has been changing over the years, as societies have evolved and recognized female talent, opening up development opportunities that were previously unavailable due to gender and discrimination issues.
This cultural change at the social level, which is certainly reflected in the organizational culture of companies, does not happen spontaneously or naturally. It is essential for organizations themselves to implement policies that allow for real inclusion of women in the workforce and in high-responsibility positions.
In this regard, the electric company ISA Interchile has developed a mix of initiatives to meet the United Nations SDGs, especially the one referring to achieving gender equality and empowering all women.
Álvaro González, ISA Interchile’s Institutional Relations Manager, says that “new internal protocols, periodic sessions of the gender equity committee, alliances with organizations that promote women’s empowerment in the energy sector such as the World Energy Council (WEC Chile), and the inclusion of recognized professionals on the board and in other leadership positions are some of the concrete initiatives and actions we have promoted, and we will continue with the issue of job postings.”
Regarding this joint work with ISA Interchile and the importance of promoting gender equity and opening up spaces for the development of female talent, Trinidad Castro, Executive Director of the World Energy Council (WEC Chile), comments that “the social crisis followed by the pandemic has deeply affected the female workforce. There are currently several studies that reflect this reality. At the World Energy Council WEC Chile, we actively promote women’s leadership in the industry through the Women in Energy WEC Chile program, and we also highlight this issue permanently in our work tables. The above, rather than simply increasing the number of women in high-level positions in the energy sector, aims to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable energy system for the benefit of all people, where different views and ways of obtaining results are considered. In this way, we can achieve more efficient and profitable organizations in all areas.”
ISA Interchile is also part of the Energy + Women Plan, promoted by the Ministry of Energy. It is a public-private table that aims to increase female representation in the energy world, identifying the main entry barriers that may hinder their entry and development, and then developing an Action Plan to overcome these limitations.
